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May 10, 2010

Book: From Mind to Super Mind, A Commentary on Bhagawat Gita

The thoughts from "From Mind To Super Mind".

Its a commentary on Bhagawad Gita, Hindu Spiritualities most powerful book where Lord Krishna gave Arjuna a discourse on life, karma and duty on the battle field of Kurukshetra at the beginning of the Dharma Yuddha, the epic Battle of Maha Bharata. I chose this book by Author Rohit Mehta specially because it’s more focused on the discussion on mind and its various ways and processes. And I have consciously selected passages from the book with those specific thoughts about mind and its control, spirituality and thoughts about consciousness rather than focusing on the religious thoughts of Bhagawad Gita. This book was written in 1966 by Mr. Rohit Mehta from Varanasi.

Introduction

The great scriptures are beyond the limitations of time and space: They are eternal and Universal. The Bhagawad Gita belongs to this category of scriptures and, as such it is not a book merely for the Hindus; its message has a universal application. It is as fresh as it was when given to Arjuna many centuries ago. In fact modern humanity is in need of the message of Bhagawad Gita if he is to find freedom from the tensions and anxieties brought into his life by the scientific and technological developments of today.

The uniqueness of the teachings of Bhagawad Gita lies in the fact that it asks man to seek his spiritual objectives in the daily vocations of life…..By Author - Rohit Mehta – 15th January, 1966 Varanasi India

Below are some selected thoughts on changing from mind to super mind....

There is continual warfare going on within the psyche of man. The battle of Kurukshetra (The epic battle of Maha Bharat fought between Kauravas and Pandavas – Cousins in blood, was fought at this geographical locations in India) was fought not merely five thousands years ago – its being fought every day and every hour within the psychological domain of man

Most of us are like the blind King Dhritrashtra, (Father of Kauravas, whose sons did not allow Pandavas an inch of land as their right from the kingdom of Mahabharata) unable to see what is happening in the battle of life because our close identification with the daily events.

The human mind is always cleaver and logical when dealing with abstractions and generalities – but when it is faced with a concrete reality it tends to develop cold feet.

Arjuna after telling his inability to fight his own cousins and kith and kins, lays down his arms at the feet of Krishna… - Is this not what most of us do in the battle of life? The mind of man forever evades the real issue, it seeks escape after escape from the actualities of life. ….

And Krishna tells Arjuna in very unmistakable terms, the out come of the problem of life which Arjuna faces.. Krishna Says “Time Am I. world Destroying, grown mature, engaged here in subduing the world. Even without thee (Arjuna), all the warriors standing arrayed in the opposing armies shall cease to be.”

Before Arjuna can act rightly, he must come to the stillness of mind for this indeed is the pure source, uncorrupt and uncontaminated, the root base of action that is right.

Krishna Says “When thy mind shall escape from this tangle of delusion, then thou shall rise to the indifference as to what has been heard and should be heard. When thy mind, bewildered by Shruti (What you have heard in scriptures, religious discourse etc which Arjuna was putting across to Lord Krishna as his reason for not fighting), shall stand unmoved, fixed in contemplation, then thou shall attain into Yoga.

Its easy to discard the objects of sense delight. Its also possible to make oneself utterly insensitive to sense-impacts. But man’s psychological problem resides neither in the objects nor in the senses – it abides in the mind. … While sense objects may be cast away – the mind that dwells on them remains.

The objects of sense turn away from the embodied soul who abstains fom feeding on the, but the taste for them remains. Even the taste turns away when the supreme is seen.

He attainth peace, into whom all desires flow as rivers flow into the ocean, which though ever being filled remainth unmoved – not he who desireth desires.

Gita makes a distinction between action and activity. It says; Man winneth not freedom from action by abstaining from activity.

The never ceasing activity of mind consitiutes the inner compulsion of man. Just as fire is covered by smoke and a mirror by dust, so it the right understanding of man covered and evefeloped by this ceaselss activity of the mind, moving between the points attachment and repulsion. Mind’s movement is caused by the desire to become something. Its is this becoming which strays the man away from the path of right action.

Sages say that the sense are great; greater than the sense is the mind; greater than the mind is intelligence, but greater than the intelligence is He (The supreme)

For the man who is temperate in food and recreation, who is restrained in his actions, whose sleep and wakings are regulated, there ensures for him Yoga which destroys all sorrow.

Krishna tells Arjuna “Wihtout a doubt, O mighty-armed, the mind is hard to curb and restless; but it may be curbed by constant practice and by dispassion. O kaunteya”

The most effective way to control the mind is to pbserve the mind in its process of action or relationship. The control of mind is not by resistance nor by indulgence but by observation. To be a witness to the perations of one’s own mind – this is the unique method which the Gita suggests for dealing with the restlessness of mind.

True security comes to man only when he gives up all thought of security. Man’s insecurity arises out of a two fold consideration. He feels insecure because of the fear that what he has may be taken away from him. But he also feels insecure because he may not get what he desires to have.

I, O Arjuna, am the self seated in the hearts of all creature. I am the beginning, the middle and the very end of beings.

In the vocabulary of mind there is no word like co-existence. The mind knows only sequence – it can not visualize a condition where two things can occupy the same space at the same time. Between two things there must be an interval either of space or of time – So says the human mind.

Krishna says, “He from whom the world does not shrink and who does not shrink from the world – who is free from elation and danger, from fear and agitation, he is dear to me. He who has no expectation, is pure, efficient, unconcerned and untroubled, renouncing every undertaking, he my devotee, is dear to me.

Devotion is not sentimentality; its sensitiveness. Devotion is not an addiction to a code; it’s a free movement having no centers of attachment whatsoever.

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Writes Poetry, Haiku, Spiritual Fiction, most of the times about Spiritual and blissful living. He enjoys spiritual journeys across India / High on Himalayas or floating below in depths Ganges, on a self-exploration trip, all the while trying to work out that elusive enlightenment, which every one talks about but, most of the times, don't find.

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